Rethinking the SAT: The Future of Standardized Testing in University Admissions

ISBN-13: 9780415948357 / Angielski / Miękka / 2004 / 390 str.

Rebecca Zwick

Opis

The controversy surrounding the implications of standardized tests for college admissions is constant among the general public, academics, administrators, policy makers, and certainly students. This unique volume gives voice to all the major players and writers at the forefront of the debate currently raging in America over the scholastic assessment test (SAT). The book not only focuses on Richard Atkinson's controversial stance regarding the American SAT, but highlights the thinking of individuals from all the various sectors involved, from testing specialists to academics to the popular press. The contributors tackle both pro and con positions, and debate the more newsworthy topics discussed in the press like race, gender, and class issues associated with standardized testing. Rethinking the SAT is a unique presentation of the latest thoughts and research findings of key individuals in the world of college admissions, including the president of the largest public university system in the US, as well as the presidents of the two companies that sponsor college admissions tests in the US. The contributors address not only the pros and cons of the SAT itself, but the broader question

Recenzje

"[Rethinking the SAT] contains several very important essays that help us understand the complex set of issues that surround the problem of assessing a student's readiness to succeed in college...The issues explored by the essays in this book are critical to any education professional's understanding of why it is difficult to devise an efficient, effective, and fair admissions procedure." -- Teachers College Record
"Rethinking the SAT is the most thorough and balanced discussion of admissions testing to appear in recent years. This book should be required reading for all college and university admissions staff. It sets out all of the major issues and gives an interesting perspective on future directions for admissions testing." -- Mark D. Reckase, Michigan State University
"Rebecca Zwick's impressive volume assembles a full and balanced compendium of current research on the use of standardized tests in undergraduate admissions decisions." -- Clifford Attkisson, University of California, San Francisco

Spis treści

Preface Acknowledgments Part I: Standardized Tests and American Education: What is the Past and Future of College Admissions Testing in the United States Preface to Part I A History of Admissions Testing, Nicholas Lemann Achievement Versus Aptitude Tests in College Admissions, Richard C. Atkinson Standardized Tests and American Education, Richard Ferguson Doing What is Important in Education, Gaston Caperton Remarks on President Atkinson's Proposal on Admissions Tests, Manuel N. Gomez Aptitude for College: The Importance of Reasoning Tests for Minority Admissions, David F. Lohman A Historical Perspective on the Content of the SAT, Ida Lawrence, Gretchen Rigol, Tom Van Essen, and Carol Jackson Innovation and Change in the SAT: A Design Framework for Future College Admissions Tests, Howard T. Everson Commentary on Part I: Admissions Testing in a Disconnected K-16 System, Michael W. Kirst Part II: College Admissions Testing in California: How did the California SAT Debate Arise? Preface to Part II Rethinking the Use of Undergraduate Admissions Tests: The Case of the University of California, Dorothy A. Perry, Michael T. Brown, and Barbara A. Sawrey UC and the SAT: Predictive Validity and Differential Impact of the SAT I and SAT II at the University of California, Saul Geiser and Roger Studley Commentary on Part II: Changing University of California Admissions Practices: A Participant-Observer Perspective, Eva L. Baker Part III: Race, Class, and Admissions Testing: How are Test Scores Related to Student Background and Academic Preparation? Preface to Part III Equitable Access and Academic Preparation for Higher Education: Lessons Learned from College Access Programs, Patricia Gandara Group Differences in Standardized Test Scores and Other Educational Indicators, Amy Elizabeth Schmidt and Wayne J. Camara Is the SAT A Wealth Test? The Link Between Educational Achievement and Socioeconomic Status, Rebecca Zwick Evaluating SAT Coaching: Gains, Effects and Self-Selection, Derek C. Briggs Commentary on Part III: Differential Achievement: Seeking Causes, Cures, and Construct Validity, Michael E. Martinez Part IV: The Predictive Value of Admissions Tests: How Well Do Tests Predict Academic Success for Students from a Variety of Backgrounds Preface to Part IV The Utility of the SAT I and SAT II for Admissions Decisions in California and the Nation, Jennifer L. Korbin, Wayne J. Camara and Glenn B. Milewski Replacing Reasoning Tests with Achievement Tests in University Admissions: Does it Make a Difference?, Brent Bridgeman, Nancy Burton and Frederick Cline Differential Validity and Prediction: Race and Sex Differences in College Admissions Testing, John W. Young The Effects of Using ACT Composite Scores and High School Averages on College Admissions Decisions for Ethnic Groups, Julie Noble Inequality, Student Achievement, and College Admissions: A Remedy for Underrepresentation, Roger E. Studley Reassessing College Admissions: Examining Tests and Admitting Alternatives, Christina Perez Commentary on Part IV: The Predictive Value of Admissions Tests: How Well Do Tests Predict Academic Success for Students from a Variety of Backgrounds, Robert L. Linn Author Index Subject Index

O autorze

Rebecca Zwick is a Professor at the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She is a former researcher for Educational Testing Service (ETS) and author of Fair Game: The Use of Standardized Admissions Tests in Higher Education (RoutledgeFalmer).